MIAMI — The Denver Nuggets are on the verge of securing their first NBA championship after defeating the Miami Heat 108-95, Thursday (Friday in Manila) for a commanding 3-1 lead in the title series.

Aaron Gordon led the way with 27 points, supported by Nikola Jokic’s 23-point contribution. The Nuggets showcased their dominance by winning both games in Miami and now have three opportunities to claim the championship, with the next game set to take place in an electric atmosphere in Denver on Monday night.

Bruce Brown provided a significant boost off the bench, scoring 21 points for the Nuggets, while Jamal Murray continued his impressive performance with 15 points and 12 assists, marking his fourth consecutive game with double-digit assists.

Despite Jimmy Butler’s 25-point effort and Bam Adebayo’s 20 points and 11 rebounds, the Heat now face an uphill battle, finding themselves in a familiar 3-1 deficit as they did in their previous finals appearances in 2014 and 2020. The Heat left the court in silence, fully aware of the challenging situation they find themselves in.

The Nuggets entered the series as overwhelming favorites due to their No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, compared to the Heat’s No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. Their regular-season dominance over Miami carried into the finals, winning nine of their last ten meetings.

Heading into the fourth quarter with a 13-point lead, Denver faced a desperate Miami team that initiated an 8-0 run. Jokic’s foul trouble forced him to sit out, but the Nuggets showed resilience, with Murray sinking a crucial 3-pointer to halt Miami’s momentum. Jeff Green’s corner 3-pointer near the Heat bench provided a significant boost, securing a 94-85 advantage with 6:21 remaining.

Jokic returned to the game with the Nuggets maintaining a 10-point lead and ensured Miami failed to capitalize on their opportunity. Now, the Heat finds themselves on the wrong side of history, as teams with a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals have only lost once in 36 previous instances. Miami must defy the odds to prevent Denver from claiming the championship.

Despite a scare when Jokic tweaked his right ankle in the first quarter, he showed resilience by playing through the discomfort. After briefly visiting the Denver locker room before the second quarter, Jokic returned and played without any noticeable issues.

(Source: Online)